Interactive product placement system and method therefor

ABSTRACT

A method for presenting advertisements for commercial products in video productions, whereby the commercial product is placed in the video production as an element of the video production. A viewer is enabled to interact with the video production to select the product. Information is then displayed about the selected product; and the viewer is enabled to purchase the selected product.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/024,829, filed Jan. 30, 2008, which application is herebyincorporated herein by reference, in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates generally to interactive video broadcasting, and,more particularly, to placement of products in video broadcast forinteractive purchase.

BACKGROUND

It is well-known that video may be broadcast or provided through anumber of media, such as television, the Internet, DVD, and the like. Tofinance such video broadcast, commercial advertisements are often placedin the video. Commercials, however, require that the video bemomentarily interrupted while the commercial is displayed. Not only isthat annoying to viewers, but modern technology has developed digitalvideo recorders (DVR's) that allow video programs to be pre-recorded,and when viewed, to fast-forward through commercials, thereby defeatingthe effectiveness and, hence, value of commercials. When commercials arede-valued, costs are not adequately covered, and as a result, broadcastservice quality suffers. In many cases, costs are made up by chargingviewers for the video service.

Therefore, what is needed is a system and method for advertisingcommercial products in such a way that they are not annoying and do notinterrupt a video production, prompting a user fast-forward throughthem.

SUMMARY

The present invention, accordingly, provides a method for presentingadvertisements for commercial products in video productions, whereby thecommercial product is placed in the video production as an element ofthe video production. A viewer is enabled to interact with the videoproduction to select the product. Information is displayed about theselected product; and the viewer is enabled to purchase the selectedproduct.

More specifically, the invention comprises a web-based rich mediasoftware application allowing non-technical end-users the ability toeasily create full frame interactive media overlays into the videoproduction which has been encoded with pre-defined cue points thatrequest immersive full motion video interactive overlay elements from anad-server.

The cue points are utilized to trigger pre-defined advertising eventsstored and indexed with metadata in an ad server or other database. Byway of example, an advertising event may include the extraction of asingle video frame or a series of frames of the encoded videoproduction, which in turn becomes the interactive advertisement that istriggered by the pre-set cue point and presented to the user as aseamless advertising/entertainment experience.

Once the cue point triggers an event, the system calls the specificadvertisement into the video player and seamlessly overlays the initialvideo production with the enhanced interactive product ads. The ad isdisplayed for a predetermined life cycle, such as 5-10 seconds. Once thelife cycle of the ad expires, or the ad is clicked or presented to theend user, the advertisement will destroy itself, leaving the viewer withthe impression that there was never a break in the viewing experience.

In conjunction with the integrated overlay advertisements, the processof the invention is supplemented with an information and productintegrated timeline residing under the video production. At thetriggered cue point, watermarked icons/logos appear under the videoproduction. Users can interact with the icons to garner more informationabout a particular character, location, or advertisers at a specificpoint in the feature presentation, employing the same aforementionedcalls.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and theadvantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptionstaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a high level block diagram of an interactive product placementsystem embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 exemplifies a flow chart illustrating control logic forimplementing features of the system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 exemplifies an application of an interactive video editorembodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 4 exemplifies an application of an interactive video playerembodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 5 exemplifies a product placement timeline embodying features ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 6 exemplifies an interactive product placement embodying featuresof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following discussion, numerous specific details are set forth toprovide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, itwill be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present inventionmay be practiced without such specific details. In other instances,well-known elements have been illustrated in schematic or block diagramform in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessarydetail. Additionally, for the most part, details concerning theInternet, HTTP, XML, PHP, FLV, and the like have been omitted inasmuchas such details are not considered necessary to obtain a completeunderstanding of the present invention, and are considered to be withinthe skills of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art.

It is noted that, unless indicated otherwise, all functions describedherein may be performed by a processor such as a microprocessor, acontroller, a microcontroller, an application-specific integratedcircuit (ASIC), an electronic data processor, a computer, or the like,in accordance with code, such as program code, software, integratedcircuits, and/or the like that are coded to perform such functions.Furthermore, it is considered that the design, development, andimplementation details of all such code would be apparent to a personhaving ordinary skill in the art based upon a review of the presentdescription of the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the reference numeral 100 generallydesignates an interactive product placement system embodying features ofthe present invention. The system 100 includes a video server 104 and anad (i.e., “advertisement”) server 106 coupled together via acommunication information network effective for video streaming, such asthe Internet, 110. An interactive video editor 102 is coupled via theInternet 110 to the video server 104 and ad server 106 for creatingimmersive interactive advertisements in conjunction with videoproductions displayed by the video server. An interactive video player108 is coupled via the Internet 110 to the video server 104 and adserver 106 for displaying video productions from the video server 104and ads from the ad server 106 in accordance with principles of thepresent invention.

FIG. 3 exemplifies an application of the interactive video editor 102for enabling non-technical ad representatives to create an immersiveinteractive advertising experience for users. The editor 102 defines theproperties, interactive elements, visuals, and motion of the ad elementstored in metadata and XML format and packaged with the ad file. Theeditor 102 is a rich media application comprising tools, a userinterface, and backend connections to the ad server 106. The followinglists, by way of example and not limitation, some preferred features ofthe editor 102:

-   -   File: Open    -   Save: Save an iteration of video project file.    -   Export: Export in all applicable compiled final production ready        formats.    -   Properties: Set campaign name, lifespan and essential metadata        ad formats.    -   Assign Path: Create guideline to animate overlay object end to        end over.    -   Set Key: Assign animation key frame.    -   Four Corner Pin: Pin vector points to set start and end frames        over underlying video production. Corner Pin effect distorts an        image by repositioning each of its four corners. Use it to        stretch, shrink, skew, or twist an image or to simulate        perspective or movement that pivots from the edge of a layer

The interactive video editor 102 also enables layers to be added to thevideo production. More specifically, an overlay element allows users tosee an underlying video preview. The first layer on the bottom forms abase layer, and anything layered on top of that at least partiallyobscures the layers underneath it.

Still further, the interactive video editor 102 includes a tool kit,comprising the following:

-   -   Pen: freeform drawing tool used to define shape    -   Shape: Set of predefined shapes to use as interactive element    -   Paint: Brush tool allowing more freeform element creation    -   Erase: Remove excess erase tool allows you to remove portions of        shapes or lines with precision. You can change the size and        shape of the eraser as well as the portions of any shape you        want to erase by adjusting the options

FIG. 4 exemplifies an application of the interactive video player 108configured with the capabilities to read, display, and interact withcode supplied by the corresponding application of the interactive videoeditor 102. The player 108 is a rich media application comprising tools,a user interface, and backend connections to the ad server 106.

As shown in FIG. 4, the video player 108 advertises a card in an overlayas it moves along a motion path. Also shown are an ad icon/logo for thecard in a Timeline under the video display, and under the ad icon/logo,a calling cue point corresponding to a respective icon/logo above it.Optionally, under the calling cue points are episodes of the videoproduction being watched. While the timeline is shown positioned beneaththe video production, it may be positioned along the top, left, or rightmargins of the video production.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart exemplifying steps in the operation of theinvention. In step 202 operation begins, and in step 204 a request isgenerated by the video player 108 (per input from a user) for a videoproduction and transmitted to the video server 104. In step 206, thevideo server 104 receives the request for a video production and, instep 208, the video server 104 locates the video production andtransmits it to the video player 108. In step 212, the video player 108begins playing the video production until a cue point is triggered instep 214. Upon triggering the cue point, execution proceeds to step 216wherein the video player generates and transmits to the ad server 106 arequest via HTTP POST requests for an ad, and includes with the requesta cue point name and video ID into which the ad will be placed. Thefollowing exemplifies a request generated at step 216:

FLVPlayback.addEventListener(Video.CuePoint, function( ) { Var request =newURLRequest(“filename.php?func=advertisment&movie_id=”+movie_id+”&cue_point=” +this.cuePointName); }

In step 218, the ad server 106 receives the ad request and, in step 220,the ad server 106 locates the requested ad and transmits the ad to thevideo player 108. The ad requests are made form the player applicationvia HTTP POST requests. The response from the ad server or otherdatabase will be a small XML that gives the path of the ad, length, andany other information that's related to the ad. The player reacts toevents signaled by the cue points request and will execute actionsdefined inside the event trigger instructing the player with the adparameters, e.g., kind of ad file requested, the action to take, e.g.,pause, lifespan, effect, specifics coordinates of the over-laid ad, andthe like, as well as any other custom defined configurations.

The following exemplifies simple cue point metadata, which is generatedby the video editor 102 and stored with the advertisement:

CUE POINT DURA- URL TIME NAME ACTION TION PATH 1:54.02 soda_can Fade In10 sec. http://yoururl.com/ad 2:02.06 pizza_box Motion Path 10 sec.http://yoururl.com/ad 9:02.04 sneakers Glow 5 sec. http://yoururl.com/ad

In step 222, the video player receives the ad with an interactive linkwhich a user/viewer may select and click on to obtain furtherinformation about the product being advertised, and optionally purchasesame. The ad is then displayed as either or both an ad with the link asan overlay on the video production in step 224, or in step 226 as acalling cue point for the ad and link in an icon or logo in a timelinebelow the video production. In step 224, the ad is displayed for theduration indicated in the cue point data, as exemplified above. The iconor logo in the timeline of step 226 may remain in the timeline as longas space permits, that is, until space is needed for a icon or logo of asubsequent icon or logo.

In step 228, a determination is made whether the video production iscomplete. If the video production is not complete, execution returns tostep 212; otherwise, execution is terminated as step 230.

FIGS. 5 and 6 provide additional visual examples of interactive overlayand timeline ads, in which the video player 108 seeks cue points set inthe video content triggering an ad event requesting either a timelineadvertisement or an embedded live overlay advertisement. Morespecifically, FIG. 5 exemplifies how timeline information andadvertisement offers directly correspond to cue points inside specificvideo content assets. FIG. 6 exemplifies how cue points triggerpre-defined advertising events stored and indexed with metadata in thead server or other database. An example of the event may include theextraction of a single video frame or a series of frames of a videoproduction, which in turn becomes the interactive advertisement that islaid over the video production to create a seamless interactiveclickable video ad. As shown in FIG. 6, the product being advertised ishighlight via rotoscoping, and additional information may be obtainedabout by clicking on the product.

By the use of the present invention, an improved method is provided foradvertising products by interactively placing them either in a timelineor embedding them in a live overlay on a video production.

It is understood that the present invention may take many forms andembodiments. Accordingly, several variations may be made in theforegoing without departing from the spirit or the scope of theinvention. For example, the compositing of elements otherwisenon-existing into the finished advertising product or filming greenscreen products and services into the production to later composite viathe video editing application. Means for interconnecting components ofthe system may be achieved other than via the Internet, such as viafiber optic or cable network or satellite. The video stream may besupplied by alternative means incorporating, for example, DVDtechnology.

Having thus described the present invention by reference to certain ofits preferred embodiments, it is noted that the embodiments disclosedare illustrative rather than limiting in nature and that a wide range ofvariations, modifications, changes, and substitutions are contemplatedin the foregoing disclosure and, in some instances, some features of thepresent invention may be employed without a corresponding use of theother features. Many such variations and modifications may be consideredobvious and desirable by those skilled in the art based upon a review ofthe foregoing description of preferred embodiments. Accordingly, it isappropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in amanner consistent with the scope of the invention.

1.-15. (canceled)
 16. A method for advertising in video productions, themethod comprising: transmitting, from one or more servers, a videoproduction to a video player, the transmitted video productionassociated with at least one pre-defined cue point and containing one ormore products or services; participating in transmission, to the videoplayer, of an interactive advertising feature separate from the videoproduction, the interactive advertising feature relating to the one ormore products or services and including a selection enabled portion thatallows a viewer of the video player to interactively retrieveinformation about the one or more products or services; wherein thevideo player is configured to display the video production; wherein thevideo player is configured upon a triggering of the at least onepre-defined cue point to initiate display of the interactive advertisingfeature, and wherein the interactive advertising feature is configuredto allow the viewer to retrieve further information not previouslydisplayed about the one or more products or services, at least some ofthe further information configured to be displayed as an overlay overthe video production adjacent at least one edge of a displayable area ofthe video production without regard to a location or presence of the oneor more products or services displayed within the video production.